SMART Photonics, the Dutch photonic chipmaker, scaled up its production of photonic chips (PICs), transferring its manufacturing capability to four-inch wafer substrates. This results in doubling the production rate and a lower price per chip, accelerating the commercial rollout of the foundry’s photonic chips, writes the company in a press release.
Why you need to know this
Global demand for photonics integrated circuits is forecasted to grow by double digits in the future, mostly driven by 5G and 6G applications and AI preparatory data center upgrades. A cost reduction can enable a faster rollout of these technologies.
In general, 4-inch wafers contain nearly twice as many chips as 3-inch wafers. “Purchasing, installing, testing and qualifying the new 4-inch processing equipment was a huge effort, so we are very excited that we have succeeded in taking this important technological step forward,” said Guy Backner, Chief Operating Officer of SMART Photonics. “It’s not just about the sheer number of wafers produced; the larger wafer substrate will now enable us to beter meet the number of optical chips needed in the market, and at a competitive price level that will help to fulfil our ambiton of becoming a world-leading player in integrated photonics.”
Continuing growth
In July 2023, SMART Photonics secured funding of €100M from strategic industry and financial players such as chip equipment giant ASML and chipmaker NXP. The funding included €60M in public financing as part of the PhotonDelta-approved National Growth Fund project. This latest round of funding enables SMART Photonics to accelerate its development, strengthen its Process Design Kit capabilities, and extend its manufacturing base as the company matures.
The 3 to 4-inch transition was also made possible thanks to the support of the European Union’s Interreg North-West Europe project “OIP4NWE” (NWE 758).
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